Thursday, January 21, 2021
The frequency “121.5” is the common emergency frequency also known as “Guard.” Most airplanes, and especially airliners, have multiple radios and per FAA regulation, "all aircraft operating in United States National Airspace, if capable, shall maintain a listening watch on VHF GUARD 121.5." It’s there so pilots experiencing an emergency can transmit information quickly on a frequency monitored by many others: other pilots, air traffic controllers, Flight Service Station personnel and even military air defense and other emergency services. What it also means is that because so many are listening, and unless a voice states their call sign, it’s essentially an anonymous forum ripe for trolls. There are many instances I simply turn it off for a few minutes to let things calm down on that frequency, rendering its whole purpose moot.
Woe to the poor pilot who accidently transmits a PA meant for their passengers or tries to contact their ops on Guard, they will be met with a dog-pile of sneers, jeers and mockery. I’m not a crank monitoring that frequency, and I'm not above some good-natured ribbing, I write a cartoon for heaven's sakes! But this one felt good to single out a little underbelly of our profession.
I don’t think I’ve ever, or if I did it’s exceedingly rare, heard a woman’s voice transmit in a sneering, unprofessional way on Guard.
Meow.
Woe to the poor pilot who accidently transmits a PA meant for their passengers or tries to contact their ops on Guard, they will be met with a dog-pile of sneers, jeers and mockery. I’m not a crank monitoring that frequency, and I'm not above some good-natured ribbing, I write a cartoon for heaven's sakes! But this one felt good to single out a little underbelly of our profession.
I don’t think I’ve ever, or if I did it’s exceedingly rare, heard a woman’s voice transmit in a sneering, unprofessional way on Guard.
Meow.
